PLANS for a huge new public square in Hounslow town centre have been praised by Mary Macleod.

The Brentford and Isleworth MP said she was impressed by residents' detailed blueprint to regenerate the neighbourhood, drawn up as an alternative to the council's own proposals.

As the council extended its consultation on the area's future by a week, until next Saturday (June 15), she urged more people to have their say before it is too late.

The Conservative MP was one of about 60 people at last night's (Thursday, June 6) presentation by the Hounslow Town Centre Neighbourhood Forum Group about its vision, dubbed 'Made in Hounslow', to revive the region.

"I think they've got some fantastic ideas, including the creation of a market square and a community square where people can get together. The difficulty will be that the costings may not add up but it's a great first step in saying this could be something really good.

"It's great that people have come together and said they want to be part of the town centre. Hopefully more people will get involved and they can all work with the council."

The council's consultation on its own masterplan for the town centre's future was due to end tomorrow, Saturday, June 8, but has been extended for a week following yesterday's meeting.

There are some similarities between the two sets of proposals but the key differences concern the future of the High Street and the car park site by ASDA. The council's vision is for a mix of shops, restaurants and a cinema in a building of up to 12 storeys occupying most of the land. But the neighbourhood forum group wants to create two large public squares, and a smaller memorial square, there, in between a smaller selection of shops, a cinema and a new town hall.

It is also keen to open the High Street up to traffic at night, claiming this will reduce crime and the fear of the crime, while the council favours further pedestrianisation.

* Click here for more about the Made in Hounslow vision for the town centre, and here for full details of the council's plans, and to have your say.